A pastor was founded murdered under mysterious circumstances in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on Saturday.

The body of Pastor C Wilson was found along with an abandoned two-wheeler at Rajakambheeram near Othakadai.

According to reports, the Chennai-based pastor was found dead with his head smashed with a boulder. The body was seen some distance away from the road, indicating that he could have been waylaid and chased.

Some materials including tracts were found scattered near the victim’s body.

While the police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder, they have not ruled out robbery, religious hatred or enmity.

However, the brutal manner in which the 54-year old pastor was killed might not suggest a burglary attempt.

“Normally highwaymen threaten their victims with knives and take away the valuables and they don’t kill the victims in a brutal manner with stone. It appears they repeatedly struck Wilson and brutally deformed one side of his face,” the TNN quoted a police official saying.

Wilson, who had reportedly gone to Kanyakumari to preach in a few churches, was returning home to Chennai.

“Prima facie, it seems like an incident of robbery, but he can be a victim of religious hatred or it can be anything. Until further investigations are carried out, we will not know,” the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said.

The police meanwhile have said they have sufficient clue and has almost zeroed in on the accused. A case of murder has been registered under section 302 of the IPC.